Iran live updates: US carrying out 'powerful' airstrikes after earlier Iranian attacks in Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM says

U.S. forces are carrying out "powerful" airstrikes against Iran in response to earlier Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said.

"U.S. Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway," CENTCOM said in a social media post. "The U.S. strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire."

There are were reports of several explosions in the southern Iranian port city of Sirik, Iranian state TV reported.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry is pushing back on accusations made by Qatar that Iran attacked one of its ships in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Qatar's accusations are questionable, contrary to the principle of good neighborliness, and unacceptable.

Iran is committed to its commitments to ensure security and provide maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz and called on regional countries and shipping companies to refrain from any action contrary to the ceasefire agreement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a statement Tuesday.

Baghaei also warned that the movement of vessels in uncoordinated routes or the switching off of tracking systems would jeopardize maritime security and traffic safety in the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. is revoking a license that authorized the sale of Iranian oil, a key aspect of the memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. and Iran last month. A U.S. official pointed to recent escalation in the Strait of Hormuz as reason for this reversal, calling Iran’s actions “wholly unacceptable.”

“The Office of Foreign Assets Control is revoking GL X, which authorized the sale of Iranian oil. As President [Donald] Trump and the administration have repeatedly affirmed, the MOU in effect with Iran is entirely performance-based. Iran will only reap benefits if they exhibit good behavior,” the official said.

“Iran’s actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable to the United States and will be met with consequences,” a U.S. official also said in a statement to ABC News.

This comes after three commercial ships had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz since Monday. Iran had fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels overnight, two U.S. officials confirmed, and a third tanker was reportedly struck Tuesday, per UKMTO.

According to the Treasury Department, the license is “revoked and superseded in its entirety,” effective Tuesday. The Treasury Department also said it would allow a wind-down grace period until July 17 for transactions previously authorized under the license. 

This marks a revocation of one of the agreed-upon points in the MOU, which had taken effect on June 18. The MOU had stated that "immediately upon signing," the Treasury Department will issue waivers and allow export of Iranian crude.

While the MOU took effect on June 18, the wide-ranging license permitting the sale of Iranian oil was not officially issued until June 22, and it was intended to be waived for a 60-day period-- until August 21. 

This was considered a significant financial win for Iran, given that the country had faced oil sanctions for years.

However, the U.S. official said peace talks between the U.S. and Iran remain ongoing, adding that “our negotiators continue to work in good faith towards a final deal.”

The news of the revocation was first reported by Reuters.